Hoarding Disorder

Hoarding has become a trending topic thanks to popular television shows and other media. Unfortunately, this has led to negative, hurtful words regarding people struggling with hoarding behaviors. We feel it’s important to challenge this stigma and support those who are brave in seeking help.
Our goal is to provide a therapeutic approach that is supportive, paced appropriately, and allows you complete control during treatment. We commit to helping you gain the respect you deserve and regain a feeling of empowerment and hope.

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or Call 503-542-7635

Clinical Definition 
The persistent difficulty discarding or parting with possessions regardless of their “actual” value. This difficulty is due to the perceived need to save items to avoid the distress of discarding them, resulting in an accumulation of possessions that compromise living areas thus causing impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.

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Our Approach

Fortunately, more and more research studies are being done on how to effectively treat hoarding disorder. In addition to being actively involved with the Multnomah County Hoarding Task Force, the NW Anxiety Institute offers several evidence-based treatment options:

• Individual Therapy
  Meet with a highly-skilled therapist trained in Exposure Response Prevention. While we will meet in our offices, much of your therapy will likely take place in your home, where it’s most effective.
  
  
• Group Therapy
  Our Adult Anxiety Group is open to anyone 18 or older struggling with any form of anxiety. Meet with others facing the similar problems, gain support from your peers, and share your experiences.
  
  
• Buried in Treasures 
  We offer the Buried in Treasures workshop, an evidence-based support program that is structured and time-limited. It consists of 16 sessions that are led by a trained facilitator, but with a focus on the peer experience. Each participant has lived experience of hoarding and is actively working on discarding, organizing, and reducing acquisition of items.
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Outreach

​As an active steering committee member of the Multnomah County Hoarding task force, Allison Bonifay has considerable experience treating hoarding disorder and educating others on how to view and treat hoarding behaviors from a mental health perspective. Both Allison Bonifay and Kevin Ashworth have provided multiple trainings and presentations on hoarding. Audiences have included: Multnomah, Columbia, Washington, and Clackamas County DHS service providers, in-home service providers from Portland Metro non-profit organizations, individuals from the City of Portland Fire Department, Police Department, and representatives from various housing authorities. They have spoken at local and national scientific conferences on the topic and actively consult with and train fellow clinicians.

Working With Parents

Our team has extensive experience working with children and teens. But we believe working with parents is equally, if not more, important. We educate parents on understanding anxiety and recognizing the difference between anxiety and stress. We also help with identifying well-intentioned behaviors that may be maintaining your child’s anxiety. Most importantly, we train parents on active listening enhancement and using empathy to build stronger problem-solving skills. Check out our Parenting Anxious Kids page to learn more.

Parent's Corner
​Hoarding disorder in children can be difficult to pin down. You may feel your child just gets overly attached to their possessions. You may wonder if they’re sentimental or if their behaviors are indicative of something problematic. Below are symptoms that may point towards a hoarding disorder in your child:

• Reluctance discard items that may or may not have sentimental value (ex. old school work, gum wrappers, old clothes)
• A constant worry about their possessions
• Collecting items that seem to have limited value